Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-03-02
elcycllsT STEVENS IN Memco.
Hard Roads to TraveI-in the MIds 81 .
Dangerous Mob.

Hard Roads 10 TraveI-in the Midst Of .
Dangerous Mob.
Starting from Canton on Oct. IL. I
had expected To reach Kingkiang Inside
of twenty days; but calculations l0sed
on my experience in other countries
failed me entirely in China. found it a
totally different country from any Of the
Others | have Travelled. both as regards
roads. people, accommodation, and ex-
perience generally. 1t would be little
exaggerati0n to say that the only roads
in south China the north may be a little
differently are the rivers, and no cxagger-
alton whatever 10 say that the only proper
way TO travel is with a boat. in which
one can travel as in a house. Strictly
speaking, there are no roads at all, us we
understand the term; only narrow foot
paths. leading here, there and every
where, and yet nowhere in particular; an
intricate mass Of tracks about the rice
fields, in which a st..ungCr finds himself
hopelcssly bcwildcred to commence with,
and invariably lost at last.
The first day out from Canton, after
travelling, | should think, thirty mile, j
found myself in a village about thirteen
miles out. Neither are these pathways
Of that asphalt like smoothneSs for which
an experienced cycler naturally yearnS,
who sees the pleasant autumn weather
gradually gliding past, and the distance
ahead still great. On the contrary,
powders and rough slabs of stone. once
laid level, but now more often sloping at
angles that render them prccarious foot
ing for anything but a goat or a bare
footed Chinaman. are the chief charac-
teristics. In addition to this they are
often not more than two feet wide, and
often rise several feet above the waving
paddy, SO that traycrSing them is a feat
really equal 10 the performance Of walk
inS on Il wall. uirier these circum-
stances 4 r"rSpl frequently thinks of
swapping his bicyclcf for q .'parlah yaller,"
and riddlug the wip with bullets.
Ts-llO Was the first city where the au-
thorites saw lit 10 favor me- with an es-
cort. They sent n couple Of soldiers with
me Ia king.gang.foo. They evidently
knew what they We're about, for | should
have Jared badly had | reached King.
gang. foo alone, not knowing the direct
route TO the Iamen. The soldiers be-
trayed anxiety a We approached the
city; the mob collected. and. while yet
several hundred yards from the Yamen.
the stones Logan to come. and wild wells
for the Fan kwaes rent the air. Missiles
that would have knocked me senseless
had | been wearing an ordinary hat only
made dents in the big pith solar topee /
had worn through India, and which
etfectually protected my head and shout.
d"rs. escaped into the Yamen with
but a few trifiing bruises and one spoke
broke out Of the bicycle. but one of the
soldiers got badly hurt on the arm
probably a fractured bone. The soldiers
warned them that | was armed. and un.
III We reached the outer lamen gate,
they confined themselves TO yelling and
throwing stones; several then rushed for
ward and seized the bicycle, but the Off
Gals came to the rescue and hurried me
into the che-hsiens Office. II was pan
demonium broke loose around the Yamen
gates oil the evening, the mob howling
for the foreign devil. p" the shouts Of the
soldiers keeping them at hay, and the Off
cials loudly exIostulating and harangn-
ing them from time TO time. as the din
seemed 10 he increasing. Proclamations
were sent ont by the che-hsien. and.
toward midnight, the mob had finally
dispersed. | was then placed aboard a
samlan. and, with guard Of six soldiers.
spirited oft down stream. After this the
arthoritr-s never allowed me to travel by
bicyclc. Int passed me on down stream
hy i1at from town TO town. under guard.
until We reached WI ching on the Poyang
Hoo. when, lay much persuasion. | OBJ
tanned permission to take a short cut
across country to Kiukiang, hut still with
al cort.-Thomas Stevens Letter.